Home Is Where The Heart Is
by abvamp
Summary: Don couldn’t go through this again, but their love was to strong. This story contains explicit incest/slash. Don/Charlie. This story will be M overall. This happens years before Mating Rituals.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Home Is Where The Heart Is.  
Fandom: CSI/Numb3rs.  
Pairing: Don/Charlie.  
Author: Aiden.  
Chapters: (1/?)  
Ratings: FRAO.  
Warnings: Slash, incest, angst, hurt/comfort.  
Summary: Don couldn't go through this again, but their love was to strong.  
Beta: SRS/Silvia *hugs* Thanks a bunches for all the help.  
Author's note: This is my first back story.

Sitting in his office, Gil stared at the old and worn picture in his hand, smiling fondly at the memories it brought back.

"They grow up so fast," Nick said softly, leaning against the doorframe, knowing exactly whose picture Gil was looking at. Gil carried it with him everywhere, a reminder of the day the two cubs had come to live with them.

Gil looked up and sighed. "Yeah, they do."

"Well, it's good to have them back home again." Nick smiled at Gil.

Gil was silent for a moment, not sure if he agreed with Nick. "Yeah… maybe," he whispered.

"Come on, Gil. I'm sure they've gotten over their crush by now. It's been four years, you know," Nick said, walking over to the desk and sitting down across from Gil.

"Was it enough? I mean, you saw how Charlie was after Don left. He was miserable for months. He didn't talked to anyone, acted like some kind of robot. And who knows how Don felt," Gil mumbled.

"Gil, please don't do this to yourself. You made the right decision back then, it was the best thing for both of them." Nick tried to reassure him.

"Yeah. You're probably right," Gil said, giving a last, lingering look at the picture before putting it back into his wallet.

Nick grinned. "Actually, Larry hinted to me that our Charlie has his eye on one of his ex-students."

"He does? Who?" Gil asked curious.

"Remember that girl who came to visit him a week ago?" Nick asked him. "And Charlie insisted that they were just friends?"

Gil nodded. "Amita. Really? My boy is in love? That's great."

"Yeah, Charlie is all grown up," Nick grinned.

"I guess that means he is really over Don then," Gil mused.

Nick stood up and walked towards the door. "Yep, I guess he is."

~.~

Sitting in his room, Don mused about his brother, letting the familiar ache wash over him.

Did his father really think keeping them apart for so long would change his feelings towards his brother? Gil had been so wrong in assuming that distance would make a difference.

From the minute Don had laid eyes on Charlie across the living room, all of his feelings had come back to him in full force. When they'd shook hands for the first time in four years, Don had felt Charlie's touch all the way to his heart.

Only, now he had no idea what to do or how to act. Did Charlie even remember what they'd had? His brother had looked at him, eyes hooded, very little emotion or reaction on display.

Don wondered if he should have bothered coming back. If it hadn't been because he was tired of working Fugitive Recovery, he'd still be out there.. running from town to town, staying one step ahead of heartache.

For the longest time, he'd thought an affair with Coop was the answer, but his partnered had been a poor substitute. He'd never been in love with Coop; the blond had only been a convenient fuck.

Well, that was over now.. Coop was not the type to settle down – even if Don could have loved him. Smiling grimly, Don realized that Coop would have a new lover in no time. Don didn't fool himself; he was easily replaced.

In the end, it didn't really matter; his heart belonged to Charlie even if it was wrong or immoral. Even if he knew he couldn't act on his feelings, not again.

A knock on his bedroom door jerked him out of his musings. "Yeah, who's there?" he asked standing up.

"It's me, can I come in?" Charlie's voice came from the other side of the door.

Don sighed, not sure that letting his brother into his room was such a good idea. Resting his head on the door, he asked wearily, "What do you want, Charlie?"

"Can't we at least talk?"

Don heard the irritation in Charlie's voice. Taking a chance, he opened the door and stood back.

Looking his brother over, he tried to get them back to their sibling relationship, back to before it had gotten so complicated. "How have you been? Are you okay?" Don asked even though he knew that everything was far from okay.

Charlie stepped inside and gazed at Don, looking like a lost puppy. "No. You really got to ask? You should know that nothing has been okay since you left," he snarled as he slammed the door shut.

Before Don could respond, Charlie had him pinned against the wall, capturing his lips in a hard, demanding kiss. Charlie's tongue searched for Don's, desperate to experience his brother again after so many years apart.

Don tried to push him away. "We can't do this, Charlie, not again."

Charlie licked his lips, savoring a taste that was all Don. "Why not? I still love you," Charlie growled. "And don't you dare tell me that you don't still love me."

Don closed his eyes. "It's wrong, Charlie, we can't do this. This was exactly why dad made me leave you." Gazing at Charlie's beautiful face, he whispered, "I can't do that again. I can't lose you completely again. At least, now we can still see each other," Don whispered.

Charlie said softly, "Do you think I want to stay close to you if I'm not allowed to touch you, to make love to you? Don't ask that of me. If I can't have you as my mate, then I'm leaving for good this time."

Fear coursed through Don, making his stomach clench hard. "No, please don't go. I want to be able to see you and talk to you. I just think that being lovers is wrong – even though you know how much I still love you."

"Why is it wrong to love each other? What is so wrong with what we feel for one another?" Charlie paced back and forth, searching for something that would make Don see reason. "Sometimes love is stronger than a man's convictions," Charlie said, quoting one of his favourite author.

"Charlie," Don whispered.

"What? Why can't we love each other like we did before?" Charlie looked like he was close to tears.

Don looked away, he didn't have an answer. He wanted nothing more than to take his brother in his arms, but they couldn't do this again… they just couldn't. His heart couldn't take the heartache again.. Shaking his head, he whispered, "I can't."

Charlie grabbed Don's crotch, rubbing his fingers expertly over his jean-covered cock. He smiled when Don gasped, reacting to his touch and becoming hard. "You can't ignore this," he whispered. "I won't let you."

Don moaned, pushing his hips forward into Charlie's hand. His brother was right - he couldn't ignore this. Cupping the back of Charlie's head, he pulled him forward, starting to kiss him passionately. When they separated, Don licked his lips. "I missed this," he confessed.

"Yeah me, too," Charlie said, smiling. Leaning against Don's broad chest, he felt his brother's arms wrap around him.

Don sighed, thought back to the first time they declared their love for each other.

They'd been making out in Don's room when Gil had walked in, shocked and furious at what he'd discovered. Charlie had been home from Princeton and he'd been on vacation from the FBI.

At eighteen and twenty three, they'd been very much in love. A forbidden love actually, a love that could never be, but they couldn't deny their feelings for each other. It started as light touches, kissing in dark corners, making out in the stables at night in the protection of the darkness.

Then that fateful day that had happened. They'd been making out in Don's room, thinking that that Gil, Nick and Warrick where out of the house. They hadn't counted on the three males coming back early, and Gil looking for them. He would never forget the look on his father's face when he'd walked in the room, taking in his sons lying naked on the bed. His look of disgust and betrayal on Gil's face had been seared into Don's mind.

Gil hadn't uttered a word but his eyes had said it all. Their dad walked back out of the room, and Don felt the earth vanishing from under his feet. A few days later, Gil had called him into his office and told him that it would be best for Charlie if Don left and never came back. As much as it had pained him, Don had known it was coming, and he couldn't even disagree with his father's assessment.

When he'd returned to the FBI, he'd put in for an assignment in the Fugitive Recovery Unit, and effectively disappeared.

"What are you thinking about?" Charlie asked him, relishing the feel of Don's arms around him. "You're a million miles away."

Don looked at Charlie, his eyes solemn. "That leaving you was the stupidest thing I've ever done. I should never have disappeared the way I did."

Smiling slightly, Charlie glanced at Don's face, so dear to him. "You know, you didn't drop off the radar completely," Charlie teased. "I kept tracks of you through my contacts at the CIA and NSA."

"You did?" Don asked, smiling, knowing he was finally where he should have been all along. "I should have known you'd keep tabs on me." Leaning forward, he kissed his lover again. "Let's go to bed."

TBC.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Home Is Where The Heart Is.  
Fandom: CSI/Numb3rs.  
Pairing: Don/Charlie.  
Author: Aiden.  
Chapters: (2/?)  
Ratings: FRAO.  
Warnings: Slash, incest, angst, hurt/comfort.  
Summary: They are bonding.  
Beta: SRS/Silvia *hugs* Thanks a bunches for all the help.  
Author's note: This is my first back story.

"Let me show you how much I missed you." Don took Charlie's hand and lead him to the bed.

Charlie smiled. "I'm all yours … forever."

Stripping his lover slowly, Don reacquainted himself with the body that haunted his dreams, touching and kissing every inch of bare skin he discovered. He heard Charlie moan as he kissed his neck and bit down in his shoulder, leaving his mark. Letting his eyes wander over Charlie's muscled body, Don smiled. "You put on some muscle."

"Yeah, I've been training with Nick. He is a great teacher," Charlie replied, moaning under Don's caress.

"I'm glad he did," Don grinned, capturing Charlie's mouth in a hard, bruising kiss. Wrapping his arms around his little brother's lean waist, Don led him back onto the bed, pushing him down until Charlie was lying on his back. Breaking off the kiss, Don stripped in seconds, climbing onto the bed and straddling Charlie's hips.

Don leaned forward and kissed Charlie's forehead, his eyelids and nose, moving down towards his mouth, demanding entrance as tongues tangling, playing a sensual game.

"Missed you so much," Don whispered when they broke it off.

"Missed you, too," Charlie moaned as Don kissed him again.

Moving down Charlie's neck, Don continued to kiss and lick until he reached his lover's broad chest. "I love the way you taste." Don trailed his fingers lightly over the wolf tattoo on the right side of Charlie's chest, over the tribal tattoo on his right shoulder and down his arm. Touching Charlie's hand, Don mused, "You know… something is missing here."

Charlie sighed, remembering the first time when they'd been ready to bond but their dad had walked in on them. He looked up at Don, eyes filled of love for his mate. "Make it right this time," he whispered soulfully.

Don smiled. "I will," he promised. Kissing him again, Don left a trail of light kisses as he shifted down to Charlie's navel.

Charlie arched into the touch and moaned. "Don…you're…fuck," he panted.

Snickering, Don continued his torture, delighting in the moans and growls coming from his mate. _He'd missed that_. "Be patient. We will get there."

Charlie grabbed the sheets and arched his back when Don started to move his tongue around his belly button. When he felt Don move down further, stopping just above the patch of black soft hair and buried his nose in it, Charlie thought he cum on the spot.

"Hmmm, you smell good, too," Don whispered heatedly against his lover's skin.

"Don, please," Charlie begged, looking down and seeing his beloved's face so close to his cock.

"Yes? Please what?" Don teased him, looking up at his flushed face. Moving again, Don licked his way down the inside of Charlie's right thigh. "Spread your legs," he said, shifting his tongue to the inside of Charlie's left thigh.

Charlie moaned as he obeyed his brother's wicked request. "You're…man…get on…," he panted. Barely breathing, he gasped, hoping Don would stop the teasing and lick him where he wanted it the most.

Finally, Don stopped teasing his mate by moving his tongue over his hard, throbbing cock, licking of the pre-cum that was already dotting his slit.

Pushing his hips up, Charlie silently pleaded for Don to take him, fill him. Instead, Don dipped his head and ran the tip of his tongue over Charlie's hole, teasing him mercilessly until he breached him with a firm thrust.

"Oh…fuck…Don…please," Charlie moaned, a shiver running down his spine. Nothing he'd ever done to himself even came close to the pleasure of Don's mouth and fingers on his body.

Don looked up and grinned. "Impatient much?"

Grabbing the lube that was lying on the nightstand, Don put some on his fingers. Slowly, he pushed one finger into Charlie's tight hole and begun to stretch him, pushing in and out. As he felt Charlie moan and relax, he added a second finger, continuing the slow pace, tormenting his little brother. As he added a third finger, Don heard Charlie hiss as the stretching caused him to arch his back, shifting restlessly against his fingers. He pulled out his fingers and kissed his mate again.

"You're ready for me?" Don whispered against Charlie's mouth.

His eyes bright and dilated, Charlie nodded. Reaching up, he cupped his mate's cheek, tenderly caressing Don as he made his pledge. "I am yours. I vow my undying loyalty to you. I will follow you wherever you go, even to the ends of the earth. I promise to stay with you forever. If you die, I will follow you." He gazed at Don with tears in his eyes. "I will love you forever."

Understanding the significance of Charlie's words, Don was overwhelmed by the love he felt for his mate at that moment. Swallowing hard, tears shining in his eyes, Don whispered, "I'm…Charlie, I love you so much," he paused, taking a deep breath. "I accept your pledge and return it with one of my own. I vow to protect you and guide you faithfully."

Leaning down, he kissed his mate deeply, intensely, pouring everything he was feeling into that one kiss.

When they broke off, Charlie smiled. "Take me, make me yours."

Don took the lube and put some on his hard, throbbing cock. Slowly, he buried himself in his mate, pushing forward until he was fully seated. Biting his lip, he paused for a second, wanting this moment to last forever. When Charlie relaxed around him, Don wrapped a hand around his mate's cock and stroked it firmly even as he pulled out slightly and pushed back in.

"Don…faster…please," Charlie begged, arching his back.

Don complied and started to move harder and faster, hitting Charlie's prostate every time he pushed forward. "Fuck…this feels…good," he panted, the feel of Charlie surrounding him driving him insane.

Blinded by the pleasure of Don filling him, Charlie moaned, his orgasm building inside of him. "Got to…can't ho… Don," he wailed as he came all over Don's hand.

As Charlie came, he clenched painfully around Don's cock, causing him to move harder and faster. As pleasure washed over him, Don screamed, "Oh fuck…Charlie!" and came inside his lover.

Exhausted, Don collapsed over Charlie, panting hard. He lied there silently for a few minutes, smiling down at Charlie. Knowing he had to be squishing his mate, Don pulled out slowly, making sure his mate was okay. When he was satisfied and didn't see any blood, Don leaned forward and took Charlie's mouth in a heated, bruising kiss.

"No one will ever take this away from us… ever," he whispered when he'd broken off their kiss.

Looking at his mate intensely, Don couldn't hold back; he said the words that would bind Charlie to him.

"You are part of me now  
You touched me,  
With your kindness and love  
So enchanted  
Your soft lips are kind  
Your eyes glow with life  
I'm glad you touched me,  
You're part of me now."

Charlie looked at his mate with tears in his eyes. "I am," he said softly and waited for the final sign that they were mates, that they were bonded to each other forever. He smiled when he felt the burning sensation on the back of his right hand. "Yes, now we are truly bonded, we are mates for life."

Don lifted up his hand and watched as his tattoo appeared on back of his hand, two panthers facing each other. Suddenly, he felt a burning sensation on his chest. "What the fuck?" he looked at Charlie and back at his chest.

He watched in shock when the shape of a black panther appeared on his chest, covering the whole left side.

"Wow," Charlie whispered, as one of the panther's paw curled over Don's shoulder and a part of the face snuggled against the side of his mate's neck. "He is magnificent."

Don looked at his mate and again down at the tattoo. "You know what this means, right? I'm not only your mate; I'm also your alpha."

"Yeah," Charlie said, smiling at his mate. "It is because I pledged my loyalty to you."

They both lifted their heads when they heard a commotion coming from the hallway. "You must be mistaken, Nick," Gil was saying loudly. "There are no other alphas here on the compound. You know that."

"Oh, shit," Don cursed.

The door opened, slamming against the wall with force. Nick stormed in and growled, ready to defend his pack and territory.

Gil walked in behind Nick and looked at his sons in shock. Don and Charlie were standing near the bed, Don in front of Charlie, protecting his mate from a very angry beta.

"What have you done?" Gil whispered in shock, staring at his sons in disbelief.

"Something I should have done four years ago," Don hissed, holding up his right hand. "Claiming my mate."

Warrick, who had followed the others into the room, moved towards Nick. "Don't do this, he is your brother."

"Not anymore," Nick growled, never taking his eyes off Don's alpha tattoo.

Warrick looked at Don and saw the mark on his chest. "How is that even possible?"

Don snorted. "Charlie pledged his loyalty to me."

Gil looked at his sons, a sense of betrayal weighing heavily on him. He knew he had very little options within pack law. As much as it pained him, he had no choice. "You are no longer my sons," he decreed. "You have one day to leave pack territory. If you're still here after that, you will have to issue a Pack Challenge."

Don couldn't remember the last time a Pack Challenge had been invoked. If you weren't a beta or enforcer, the only way to challenge an alpha for the top spot was to issue a Pack Challenge and take on anyone who wanted to fight him. If he survived that, he'd still have to beat and survive fights with the beta and enforcer before reaching the alpha. Don would be insane to do something that stupid and suicidal.

Snarling, Nick growled, "I'll be waiting for my turn."

With a last lingering look at the cubs he'd raised, Gil turned around and left the room.

Warrick laid a hand on Nick's shoulder. "Let it go. Let's give them a chance to leave."

Don nodded in agreement, his heart heavy and aching. He knew that he had no other choice but to leave the pack and the territory. "We'll be gone by morning," he promised.

Warrick nodded and left the room with Nick.

Don turned around to face his mate, and his heart breaking when he saw Charlie's tears falling down his cheeks. Wrapping his arms around Charlie, Don whispered, "We'll get through this. I promise."

TBC.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Home Is Where The Heart Is.  
Fandom: CSI/Numb3rs.  
Pairing: Don/Charlie.  
Author: Aiden.  
Chapters: (3/?)  
Ratings: FRT 13.  
Warnings: Fluff, incest.  
Summary: Don getting all possessive of his mate.  
Beta: SRS/Silvia *hugs* Thanks a bunches for all the help.  
Author's note: This is not for Amita lovers, but I'm sure a lot of you don't have a problem with that. I just don't like her she needs to stay away from Charlie.

Entering CalSci, Don went in search of his mate; he had some exciting news. Walking down the long hallway, he entered his brother's office.

"Charlie?" He called out.

"Good morning, Don," Larry said from his position at Charlie's whiteboard, waving distractedly at Don. "Charles isn't here at the moment."

"Hey, Larry," Don said, disappointed that his mate was not there.

Turning back to Don, he noticed the other man's earlier excitement. "You look happy."

"Oh, yeah, I got the job," Don explained to his friend. The first time he'd met Larry, he had thought that Charlie's friend and mentor was a little weird, not sure if he was trust-worthy. After a while, Don and Larry had become good friends, and he'd been grateful to Larry for taking Charlie under his wing when he had attended CalSci.

"I'm pleased for you," Larry said, smiling at Don.

Don grinned, his earlier good humor restored. "Thanks, Larry. So, where's my brother?"

Larry checked his watch. "If I'm not mistaken, he is almost finished with his class."

"Good, I can't wait to tell him," Don said happily.

"Tell me what?" Charlie asked as he walked into his office. After dropping his bag and books on his desk, he approached Don and put a brotherly arm around his mate's shoulder. He would have rather done more but he knew they couldn't risk it until they were home.

Don smiled at him. "I got the job with the Violent Crime Unit at the FBI."

"Wow.. that's great," Charlie said, happy for his mate. "So, you're the _boss_ now?" he asked with a sly grin.

Rolling his eyes at Charlie's implied tease, Don grinned. "Yep."

Larry smiled at both of them. "I think I'm going for a walk, maybe contemplating the turtle pond will help my theory building. I'll see you two later." He walked out of the office, mumbling, "Don't forget to lock the door, you don't want anyone to walk in here unexpectedly."

"He is a good friend," Don commented, walking over to the door and locking it. Turning around, he leaned against the door and looked at his mate, his eyes darkening with passion.

Charlie moved over to Don and captured his mouth in a heated, passionate kiss. "I missed you," he said when they broke it off.

Smiling at Charlie's silliness, Don smiled. "I missed you, too." It had only been a few weeks since they'd left Gil's pack in exile; so technically, they were still on their honeymoon. Don had always felt like something vital was missing when he'd been forced away from Charlie. Having the luxury of living and loving his mate was sheer heaven.

Don teased his mate, moving his tongue over Charlie's upper lip.

A knock on the door interrupted their play. "Charlie, are you there?" Amita's voice could be heard from the other side of the door.

Don growled and laid his head on Charlie's shoulder. "Don't answer her," he whispered.

"I'll have to," Charlie stated apologetic. "I think she needs to get article edits submitted today. Sorry." He pulled away from Don and opened the door, putting on his best smile, "Hi Amita. What can I do for you?"

She smiled at Charlie as she walked in, until she saw Don standing by the window. "Oh, hi, Don," she greeted him halfheartedly.

"Amita," Don greeted her, inclining his head. He knew that he needed to keep his emotions in check around her, but it was getting harder everyday. Ever since he'd watched Amita hitting on his mate, Don had become very territorial when she showed up - despite Charlie's reassurances. The way she kept touching his mate, as if she wasn't doing anything wrong, was quickly making Don think of ways to torture her slowly. Turning back towards the window, Don growled as a warning to Charlie, then promptly tried to ignore her.

Amita stared at Charlie's older brother. He'd appeared in LA out of the blue, and now Charlie was ignoring her in favor of spending time with him. That had to stop.

As she approached Charlie, she noticed that Don had a few open buttons on his shirt. For the first time, she saw a tattoo on his neck, going down his chest. When Don ran his right hand through his hair she noticed the tattoo on his hand, and it was the same as Charlie's.

"Uhm, Charlie can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked sweetly, focusing all of her attention on the object of her affection.

"Yeah, sure. Let's go to my desk." Charlie said quietly, trying to stay a step ahead of Amita's wandering hands. She never did anything so overt that he could call her on it, but despite how innocent the touches were, they left him feeling uncomfortable.

Realizing that he was causing Charlie to worry about his reaction to Amita's behavior, Don figured it was time to leave them alone. He trusted Charlie to handle this situation, and he needed to get out of there before he snapped and put his hands around her neck, strangling her. And he had never hurt a woman in his life. "I leave you two to your math or whatever you have to discuss. I'll see you at dinner, Charlie?"

Charlie nodded, "Yep, see you then."

"See you later, Amita," Don called out, trying really hard to be polite.

"Yeah, later," Amita mumbled.

Putting his desk between them, Charlie looked at her. "So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Why did your brother come back to LA?" She bluntly asked.

Charlie sighed. "It is a long story, and to be honest, it's none of your business." He knew that Amita didn't like his mate, and that was too bad for her; he knew that Don felt exactly the same way about her. Amita had been escalating her campaign to gain his attention, and Don was becoming more and more irate. He had tried to make it clear to her that he wasn't interested, but she just wouldn't give up. One of these days, Don would get really angry, and that could result in the alpha harming Amita in a fit of jealousy. No one came between an alpha and his mate.

"I'm surprised he even landed that job at the FBI, with his tattoos and those earrings," Amita said snidely.

Charlie narrowed his eyes, offended on his mate's behalf. "I have a tattoo," he said, holding up his right hand.

Amita raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have the same as Don? Is it a brother thing?"

"Yes, it is," Charlie said, grinning. _If she only knew._ "Is that what you wanted to talk about?" he said, hinting that she had better get to the point before he lost all patience with her.

Amita shook her head. "No. Professor Williams is giving a lecture tonight. I thought you might want to go with me."

"Sorry, Amita, but as you heard, I'm having dinner with Don tonight," Charlie said calmly.

"It's the third time you've turned down a lecture on Lindemann's Transcendental numbers by Professor Williams just because your brother wants to have dinner with you," Amita spat out. "What hold does he have over you?"

"Excuse me?" Charlie said, starting to get a little irritated with her persistent invasion of his privacy. "I think you are forgetting your place. Now, if there is nothing else, I need to grade some papers before I head home."

Amita ignored his look and tone. All she heard was that Charlie was turning her down again – and because of his stupid brother. "You used to like spending time with me before your brother moved here. Why don't you want to go to the lecture with me?" She asked, putting on her best pouting face. "I miss spending time with you."

Charlie recoiled at hearing the same words from Amita that his mate had been teasing him with only minutes before. He sighed, getting really tired of being caught in the middle. Why couldn't she just take no for an answer? No wonder Don was so frustrated with her; every time his brother was near Amita, he could feel the tension radiating from his mate.

"Listen, Amita, I told you the last time we had this conversation that I'm not interested, okay." He didn't know how else to say it gently. The next time, he was going to have to get rude, but he couldn't allow his mate to suffer just because she wanted to keep her delusions. Hoping she'd take the hint, Charlie sat down behind his desk and started to grade the papers of his students.

Amita couldn't understand why Charlie continued to let his brother walk all over him. Turning around, she stalked out of the office. She spotted Don talking to Larry in the hallway, grinning about something the professor was saying. Walking over to them, she looked at Don and sniped, "Charlie is a grown up. He can make his own decisions."

Frowning at Amita's sudden attack, Don asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Like you don't know." She glared at him. "What do you do - beat him every day so that he toes the line?" she spat out. "I don't know what hold you have on him, but I'm going to find out. It's about time that Charlie starts living his own life - and without your interference!"

Before Don could reply, she stalked off.

Don growled at the idea of Amita getting possessive with _his mate_.

"Why would she think you beat Charles?" Larry mused.

Taking a deep breath, Don shrugged. "I don't know, but she'd better stay away from him or she's going to be really sorry," he growled.

Larry saw Don's eyes turn a wolfish yellow and glow eerily, knowing that Don would do anything to protect his mate. Larry didn't really like Amita much, but for her sake, he hoped she would leave Charles alone. Violence was always messy.

TBC.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Home Is Where The Heart Is.  
Fandom: CSI/Numb3rs.  
Pairing: Don/Charlie.  
Author: Aiden.  
Chapters: (4/?)  
Ratings: FRT 13  
Warnings: Incest, angst, hurt/comfort, language.  
Disclaimer: I don't own them.  
Summary: Don meets the team.  
Beta: SRS/Silvia *hugs* Thanks a bunches for all the help.  
Author's note: More Amita whumping, I really don't like her.

It was Don's first day at the LA FBI office; he was nervous and excited at once. After having to run for their lives, everything was finally falling into place for Don and Charlie.

New town, new job… _new_ _life together_.

Waiting outside of his boss' office, Don turned when the tall, blond-haired Assistant Director greeted him. "Eppes," he said, extending his hand.

"Director Merrick," Don replied as he shook the other man's hand firmly.

"Let's walk to your office so that I can introduce you to your team."

The director gave him a quick tour of the departments as they made their way to the floor where Don's office would be located.

"Here we are," Assistant Director Merrick said, pointing to an open area with several cubicles facing into a small common area. "This is your area, and your office is over there," he said, pointing to an office door. "Let me introduce you to your team."

They walked towards a large conference room, where a woman and two men sat at the table. When Don followed the director into the room, the first thing that hit his sensitive nose was the scent of wolves.

_Another pack._

_Damn._

Narrowing his gaze, he looked over the three agents carefully. The woman was tall and athletic, but not an alpha. Of the two men, one was a wolf and the other was a human. The wolf was tall, black, and well muscled, but not alpha material.

The human was also tall, but blond with tanned skin and light eyes.

Everyone in the room stood up at their entrance, and Don saw the woman step in front of the darker man. Don realized that the woman was the enforcer and the black man was the beta. An enforcer would only protect an alpha and beta with their lives, and the man was not an alpha. Had either wolf been an alpha, the fight for territory and dominance would have been instantaneous.

Did the director even know that he had wolves working for him?

Smiling, he walked over to his new team. "Hi, I'm Don Eppes," he introduced himself, showing the wolves that he wasn't a threat to them.

Keeping an eye on the director, the enforcer smiled slightly. "I'm Megan Reeves."

"I'm David Sinclair," the beta introduced himself, following the enforcer's lead.

Oblivious to the undercurrents in the room, the blond smiled and extended his hand to Don. "I'm Colby Granger. Welcome to the team."

"Thanks," Don nodded.

Merrick smiled at the agents. "Well, I'll leave you to catch up with your team. Good luck, Agent Eppes."

"Thank you, sir." Don smiled at him. '_Prick_', he thought. Don didn't like him. He'd been reading up on the Assistant Director, and knew that he'd gotten the position by pulling strings. The man had never been in the field, it was all politics - and Don hated politics.

Megan snickered quietly. '_Isn't that the truth_,' she sent back to Don.

Hearing Megan's reply, Don looked at her - then at David, who was also grinning.

The only one who didn't laugh was Colby. "Did I miss something?"

"No, Colby you didn't," David reassured his friend.

'_He doesn't know?_' Don sent to Megan.

'_No_,' she said, discretely shaking her head. Heading to the door, she invited Don to follow her, leading him down the hall and to the break room. Turning to look at the stranger before her, Megan asked softly, "So, you're an alpha?"

Don nodded, curious to see where this was going.

"Do you have a pack?" Megan asked him.

"No." Don shook his head. "For now, it's just me and my mate."

Megan thought about that. "No pack, but you're an alpha. That must mean your mate pledge her undying loyalty to you."

"Yes, he did," Don answered. He looked at Megan, sadness evident in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Megan asked him, concerned.

Don looked at her, smiling, "Yeah I'm fine."

Megan had a feeling there was more to the story, but Don had blocked his mind from her. He must be a strong wolf because only the most powerful wolves could block their mind from other wolves. Not every alpha was capable of doing that.

Suddenly, Don's cell rang. Looking at the caller ID, he smiled and turned away. "Charlie."

'Don,' Charlie answered, his voice trembling.

Don could hear the panic in his mate's voice. "Charlie, what's wrong?"

At that moment, two men walked out of the elevator and walked towards them.

"We are looking for Agent Eppes," one of the men said.

"I'm Agent Eppes. Charlie, hold on for a second." Lowering his cell, Don looked at the two men. "And you are?"

"I am Detective Williams and this is Detective Jones. Do you know an Amita Ramanujan?" the detective asked.

"Yes, I do. She works at CalSci," Don answered.

The detective nodded. "She was attacked this morning."

"Is she okay?" Don asked, concerned about Amita and Charlie.

"She is in the hospital. She's been beaten and raped," the detective said solemnly.

Saddened, Don shook his head. He didn't really like her because of all the trouble she'd caused between Charlie and him, but no one deserved this. "So what can I do for you?" he asked, wondering why they were coming to the FBI with a police case.

"I took her statement about a half hour ago, Agent Eppes. She is accusing you of raping her," the detective said with a grim expression on his face.

"What?!" Don looked shocked "Why would she do that? I didn't even see her this morning."

"Agent Eppes, where were you this morning?" one of the detectives asked him

"I was at home. My brother can verified that," Don answered, still taken back about what the detectives had told him.

"When did you meet her?"

"I met her a few weeks ago when I moved down here," Don explained. He had a pretty good idea why Amita had accused him, but he couldn't just blurt it out here in the open.

"How well do you know her?" the detective asked.

Angry and frustrated at being accused of a crime he hadn't committed, Don glared at the detective. "Why don't you cut to the chase. Did I have a sexual relationship with her? No, I don't."

"She told us you had, she wanted to break it up but you wouldn't have it. It got out of hand and you raped her," one of the detectives explained to Don.

"Talk to my brother. He will tell you that I've never had any kind of relationship with her whatsoever," Don said, anger evident in his voice.

"He can be covering for you," the detective said.

Don sighed, this was getting out of hand. He had one choice left. "I didn't do it and I didn't sleep with her because…I'm gay," he confessed.

"Uhm, oh, okay," the detective scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.

"But why would she accuse you of something so horrible?" Megan asked. They were joined by David and Colby.

"I don't know," Don said, shrugging his shoulders. "I really don't know." _Except, he did…_ He looked down and saw the phone in his hand, remembering his brother was still on the line.

"Shit, Charlie." He put the phone to his ear. "Charlie." He listened for a few minutes and sighed, "Charlie, calm down. I know, don't worry. Everything will be alright, I promise. I have to go now. I'll see you at home tonight." He clicked his phone shut and looked up straight into Megan's eyes.

_She knew, she knew everything_. She knew that Charlie was his mate, she smiled at him, understanding. She knew that Don could never do something horrible like raping anyone. It was like she was seeing right through to his soul. He looked down again. This was getting complicated. Would she still respect him if she found out that Charlie was also his brother?

"Is there anything else, detective?" Don asked, looking at the young man.

"No, that is all for now. We'll keep you informed of the investigation."

The two detectives said their goodbyes and walked off.

"Who is she?" David asked Don.

"She used to be my brother's doctoral student. Now, she is a teacher at CalSci," Don explained.

Megan looked up. "Wait a minute, Charlie Eppes? He is your brother?"

"Yeah," Don looked down, "And my mate," he mumbled.

"Oh," Megan looked at him. "He is a great guy."

Don looked up and saw nothing but understanding and acceptance in his Agents eyes. "You guys know him?" Don asked curious.

"He didn't tell you?" David smiled. "He consulted for us on a case."

Don looked surprised. "He did? I didn't know that."

"Yeah," Colby said. "We solved that case based on some algorithm thingy he developed. He explained it at the time, but I just remember a bunch of letters and squiggles."

Don laughed. "I will quote you on that when I see him tonight."

~.~

Don was on a warpath. He had heard that Amita had been discharged from the hospital, and he was on the way to her apartment. It was really easy for him to get inside, the lessons he got from Lucian on how to open a door came in really handy right now. He sat on the couch in the dark waiting for the witch.

A half hour later, he heard the door being unlocked.

Amita entered, switching on the light. She jumped when she saw Don sitting on the couch. "What the fuck are you doing here?" her tone belligerent, hardly acting like the frightened rape victim she was supposed to be.

"You know exactly why I'm here," Don growled. He stood and stalked towards her.

Watching his approach, Amita was startled to see how predatory he was behaving, like an animal hunting prey. "You don't scare me," she spat out foolishly.

Don didn't stop until he was invading her personal space. "If I were you, I would be scared… _terrified_," he hissed, backing her up against the wall. "You listen to me very carefully. You had better stay away from Charlie," he snarled in her face. "If I ever see you near him again, I will hurt you very badly. There won't be enough of you to piece back together. Do you understand me?"

Amita snorted. "You are an FBI agent; it's not in your nature to hurt innocent people."

Letting his eyes glowed yellow, Don raised a hand and transformed it into a paw with wickedly, sharp talons. Rubbing Amita's cheek, he smiled cruelly. "And who says I'm just an FBI agent? That was your first mistake, Amita. You didn't do your homework. I'm a wolf, and I won't hesitate to destroy you if you come near me or my mate again," he growled at her, a flash of razor-sharp canines visible.

"Get away from me," Amita yelled. "What are you?" Her face paling as Don's threat sank in.

Don stepped back and grinned evilly. "If you don't leave my mate alone, I will become your worst nightmare."

"Your mate?! Is that what Charlie is? Your lover? That is just wrong. I'll tell the police that you are fucking your brother? How soon do you think it will take the FBI to fire you and throw you in jail?" Amita yelled, losing control of her temper.

Anger roiled through Don. Turning around, he had her pinned to the wall in one swift move. "One word out of you and you'll be dead before the night is through. You have one day to leave town," he said, tightening his paw around her throat." If you're still here tomorrow, I will hunt you down and make you disappear." Don licked his canines hungrily as he delivered his threat. "You look like you'd make a tasty snack.."

"Go ahead… tell the FBI, but do it from another town." Loosening his grip, Don stepped back. "Besides… Who would believe you? You're already lying to the cops – and they know it." He turned around and walked towards the door. "But keep something in mind before you go to the FBI with your little… fantasy. I can find you anywhere, anytime. I can invade your life whenever I want."

He opened the door and walked into the hallway, closing the door behind him. He heard her cursing and yelling. Smiling, he waited for the elevator.

He had a mate to comfort.

TBC.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Home Is Where The Heart Is.  
Fandom: CSI/Numb3rs.  
Pairing: Don/Charlie.  
Author: Aiden.  
Chapters: (5/?)  
Ratings: FRAO.  
Warnings: Slash, incest, language.  
Summary: Charlie is getting back at Amita.  
Beta: SRS/Silvia *hugs* Thanks a bunches for all the help.  
Author's note: This is my first back story.

Pacing the garage, Charlie waited for his mate. He'd tried to work on a math problem earlier, but he was having a hard time concentrating. As anger boiled through him, all he could think of was getting back at Amita for threatening his mate.

No one messed with his mate and got away with it - especially not that bitch.

Suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle fell together. Grinning, he murmured, "That should work." Taking out his cell, he punched in a number that he knew by heart.

'This is Jeffrey.'

Charlie smiled at his friend's slightly nasal voice. "Hi, Jeff. It's Charlie. I need a huge favor."

'Charlie. It's good to hear from you. What can I do?' Jeffrey asked him.

Charlie explained what he needed, and smiled when his friend promised to take care of it – no questions asked. Clicking his phone shut, Charlie slouched on the sofa, waiting for his mate to come home.

Don arrived a half-hour later, calling out to his mate as soon as he arrived. "Charlie, where are you?"

"I'm in here, Don." Charlie stood and walked over to Don, when he entered the garage. "Did everything work out?" he asked, smiling at his mate.

"Yeah, I gave her one day to leave town or else," Don said calmly. "Why are you so happy?" he asked, curious at the twinkle in Charlie's eyes.

Grabbing Don's shirt, Charlie pulled him in and kissed his mate. "I…called…in…a favor," Charlie explained between kisses.

Surprised, Don looked at his mate. "Wha-" he started to say but was stopped by Charlie's mouth.

When they broke off, both of them were panting but smiling.

"I called Jeffrey, and I had Amita's credit cards revoked. She won't be able to use them again..."

"God, I love how your brain works," Don said, smiling at his mate. "Wait. This Jeffrey works for _who_?"

"You know I'd have to kill you if I told you," Charlie grinned, feeling happy for the first time since this dust-up had occurred with _the bitch_.

Don smirked, finding his mate's happiness to be contagious. "Then don't tell me," he said, moving his finger over his mate's lower lip. "But it was nice work anyway."

"That will teach her. No one messes with you and gets away with it," Charlie growled, tightening his grip on Don's shirt.

Don kissed him, hard and bruising, possessively. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Charlie said, rubbing up against his mate's strong body, delighted when he felt's Don's arousal. "Why don't we take this somewhere else?"

Don nodded and took his mate's hand, leading him up to the house, up the stairs and into their bedroom. Once there, he slowly undressed his mate, kissing and licking his chest.

Charlie arched into Don's touch, moaning. "Fuck…Don…you're…," he gasped when Don took one nipple between his teeth, flicking his tongue over it until it pebbled.

Don repeated the torture on the other nipple even as he started to unbuckle and unzip Charlie's pants. Pushing them down along with Charlie's underwear, Don smiled when he saw his mate hard and ready.

"Mmhmm," Don said, wrapped a hand around his mate's throbbing cock. He leaned forward and whispered in Charlie's ear, "Let me take care of that." He moved his tongue over Charlie's scruffy cheek and down his neck. Kissing a trail down his mate's broad chest, Don dropped to his knees and licked his lips as he replaced his hand with his mouth, taking him all in.

Charlie cried out. "Shit…Don…yeah," he panted, his hands find their way to Don's head.

Don started to move up and down, slowly teasing his mate. When he heard Charlie moan and curse, he smiled and started to hum.

Gasping, Charlie pushed his hips forward. "Please…_faster_," he pleaded.

Don began to move harder and faster, feeling his mate's orgasm about to break.

"Don," Charlie screamed as he came inside his lover's mouth.

Swallowing to the last drop, Don released Charlie's softening cock, licking his lips as he savored his mate's essence. Standing, Don took Charlie in his arms and kissed him hard.

Charlie moaned into the kiss, deepening it. Moving his tongue over Don's teeth, he demanded entrance as tongues tangling, playing a sensual game.

Don led his mate towards the bed and pushed him down playfully. Stripping quickly, he joined his sated lover on the bed, straddling his hips. He moved his hands up and down Charlie's chest, feeling as a shudder ran through his lover's body.

"I want you inside me," Charlie whispered, his eyes glowing yellow.

Moving back, Don smiled at his mate and grabbed the lube that was sitting on the bedside table. He put some on his fingers and inserted one inside the tight hole. Slowly, he moved his finger in and out, stretching his mate. Inserting a second finger, Don started to move faster, drawing a moan from his lover's lips. A third finger followed, and after a few minutes, he was satisfied that his mate was properly stretched.

Charlie whimpered when Don pulled out his fingers.

"Patience," Don snickered as he moved between Charlie's legs.

"Fuck…get on… with it," Charlie demanded, raising his knees and baring himself to his mate.

Don rubbed lube on his own hard cock and positioned himself over Charlie. Slowly, he slipped inside his lover, feeling Charlie's muscles contract around his cock.

"Relax, babe," Don whispered as he moved his hand over his mate's chest.

Charlie breathed in and out, relaxing when Don started to move in and out, setting a steady pace. "Don…you're killing…," Charlie cried out.

Despite the building pleasure, Don grinned. "What?" he asked innocent, deliberately not picking up the pace.

"Faster…_please_," Charlie pleaded desperately, arching his back when Don leaned forward and started to kiss his chest.

Don smiled and started to move faster, harder. "Anything for you."

Charlie hissed when Don hit his prostate with a hard thrust. Closing his eyes, he saw stars, bride stars. "_Oh…God._"

Feeling his orgasm building, Don pounded in and out, panting and moaning.

Charlie felt a shudder ran down his spine as his lover moved even faster and harder. _Fuck, this was heaven._

"_Fenris_," Don shouted Charlie's given wolf name as he came inside his mate. Melting over Charlie, Don tried to catch his breath. "Shit…," he panted, "this…was…"

"Heaven," Charlie ended his sentence.

"Yeah," Don said. Lifting himself up, Don pulled out of his lover slowly. "Are you okay?"

Charlie nodded, looking at Don with love and passion shining in his eyes. "Yeah, never better."

"I love you," Don said as he leaned forward and kissed his lover again.

Charlie cupped the back of Don's head, not wanting to let the kiss end. "Love you, too," Charlie said, smiling at him.

Don lied down and pulled Charlie in his arms. "Sleep, I'll keep you safe."

"Mmhmm, I know." Charlie snuggled deeper into Don's arms and fell asleep in minutes.

Don lied awake for some time, thinking about what had happened today. No one would take Charlie away from him. He would kill, if necessary, to keep his mate safe and by his side.

When Charlie's cell rang, Don looked at his sleeping lover. Making sure not to wake him up, Don picked up the phone and checked the ID. Recognizing the number, he answered it. "Yeah."

'Don? She's gone.' The voice on the other side of the phone was cold and efficient.

Don smiled. "Good. Make sure she's out of the state."

'I will.'

Don moved his hand through Charlie's sweat-damp curls. "Thanks, Ian."

'No problem,' the sniper replied. 'Say hi to Charlie for me, and take care of him.'

Don clicked Charlie's phone shut and looked down at his lover, grinning. He should have known that Charlie would call Ian to keep an eye on Amita.

"I love you, Mo Anam Cara."

TBC.

Mo Anam Cara = My Soul mate. Gaelic.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Home Is Where The Heart Is.  
Fandom: CSI/Numb3rs.  
Pairing: Don/Charlie.  
Author: Aiden.  
Chapters: (6/?)  
Ratings: FRT 13.  
Warnings: Mention of abuse, language.  
Summary: Don meets the other alpha.  
Beta: SRS/Silvia *hugs* Thanks a bunches for all the help.

The next morning, Don walked into the office with a big grin on his face. _Everything was finally okay with the world._

"Good morning, Don," Megan greeted her boss.

"Good morning," he replied, a tad too cheerfully.

Megan grinned when she took in Don's unusually sunny disposition. "You're in a good mood this morning," she teased.

"Why, yes, I am.. I got some good news," he said vaguely.

"Nice," Megan smiled at him, letting herself relax. It was not often that she let her guard down, but everything she was learning at Don Eppes made her a little less… weary… when she was around him. It was a relief to find someone with power who wasn't cruel and vindictive.

Minutes later, Colby and David walked into the bullpen. "Good morning, Don, Megan," they greeted them.

"Morning, guys. So, any luck on that address?" Don asked them, looking up from the file in front of him.

Grimacing, David shook his head. "No, sorry, dead end."

"Well, it was a long shot anyway," Don sighed, rubbing his neck in frustration.

Megan and David looked at each other briefly. When Megan nodded, David approached Don casually. "Don, can I talk to you later?" he said quietly.

"Yeah, sure," Don said absently, "come by my office later."

"Good morning," Charlie said, walking up to them and standing close to his mate.

"Good morning Charlie," Megan said, smiling. "Okay, I'm off to talk to the mother."

"Okay, take David with you," Don retorted, focused on his mate's presence next to him.

Megan nodded. "Let's go, David."

"Right behind you." David grabbed his jacket and trailed after the enforcer.

~.~

"I wished Gabriel was like Don," David said, breaking the silence in the car.

Megan sighed. "Yeah, me, too. I wonder why Gabriel wants to talk to him. Usually, he sees every alpha as a threat. This is the first time he's wanted to meet one face to face."

"Do you think if it comes to a fight that Don could beat him?" David asked her, concern for his loved ones evident. There was nothing David wanted more than to get rid of Gabriel, but he couldn't do anything… not while.. David sighed at the direction of his thoughts. He was tired of wracking his brain, looking for a solution. Damn, he felt powerless.

"I have no idea," Megan said quietly. "Gabriel is strong and has the advantage of being much older than Don," Megan explained, remembering when Charlie had mentioned the five-year age difference the brothers had.

David nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Gabriel has more experience then Don." He remained quiet for a few minutes. "You think he is a _born-were_?"

"Who, Don? I don't know." Megan shrugged her shoulders. "If he is, that's one advantage he'll have over Gabriel." She wondered if that would be enough to save Don if the situation got dangerous.

"God, I hope so. It's time for someone to put Gabriel at his place," David growled, curling his hands into fists.

Megan looked at the beta and her best friend. He hadn't had an easy life as a beta under Gabriel. And fighting the alpha for his place was out of the question since he had David's family threatened. She knew that David was right to be afraid; members of their pack had disappeared before. Usually, those who defied the alpha.

~.~

It wasn't until late afternoon that David had a chance to talk to Don. He knocked on the office door, and waited for Don to answer.

"Come in."

"David, sit down," Don said, gesturing to the chair across his desk. "What can I do for you?"

Uncharacteristically, David fidgeted in his chair. He knew he had to follow his alpha's instructions, but he couldn't help but regret dragging Don into his pack's troubles. There was no way Gabriel had good intentions towards Don, and David felt like a traitor for being the messenger. "Uhm…my alpha…he wants to invite you," David stammered.

Don leaned back into his chair and looked at the beta. "Why?" Don knew that an alpha never invited another alpha into his territory without a good reason. And the reasons weren't always in the name of settling on a truce. He had witnessed first-handed how bad something like that could turn out. Rubbing his jaw, he remembered when his father had killed an alpha who had threatened his pack; he had been seven at the time.

"He told me to tell you that he just wanted to talk to you, learn more about the new alpha in his city," David said, his voice monotone, like he was struggling to keep it even.

Shaking his head at the unavoidable pissing contest, Don nodded. "Fine. When?"

"Tonight. You are invited to come with us after work," David answered. "He's planning a small dinner. Your mate is invited, too."

If Don hadn't been suspicious before, inviting his mate into the territory of unknown alpha was like a fire alarm screeching in his ear. "I'll ask him. It's his decision."

"Of course," David nodded.

"Is that all?" Don asked curtly.

David nodded reluctantly. "Yeah, that's all."

"Okay," Don stood. "Let's get back to the case, shall we?" He walked out of his office, followed by the beta.

~.~

Walking into the mansion, Don stayed close to Charlie, ready to defend him. He hadn't wanted to bring Charlie to the dinner, but his mate had put up one hell of a fight to be there.

"Welcome to my house."

Don watched a man about his height approach them.

"I am Gabriel. I'm so glad you could come," he said nicely.

Don looked at him, inhaling his scent, trying to determine if he was nervous. Finally, Don smiled when he caught the distinct smell of nervousness and fear that surrounded the other alpha. This man was afraid of him, saw him as a threat. If the need arouse, Don could use that fear to defeat him in a fight.

"I am Don Eppes and this is my mate, Charlie," Don introduced himself and his mate to the alpha.

Before the introductions were completed, Don noticed Megan and David kneeling in front of the alpha. Surprised, he wondered what was going on; there behavior was more than just being submissive and respectful towards your alpha. There was something off and diseased about this pack.

'I'm getting a really bad feeling about this,' Charlie sent to his mate.

Don squeezed his hand discretely, letting him know that he felt the same way, feeling his hackles rise. Something was definitely wrong here, and he wasn't sure he wanted to get involved. He'd come to LA looking for some peace and quiet with his mate, not more pack politics.

As they entered a dining room, Gabriel seated himself at the head of the table. Pointing at two empty chairs on his right, he said magnanimously. "Please sit down."

As he and Charlie walked up to the table and sat down, Don noticed that Megan and David kept their heads bowed as they sat on the alpha's left side. Once seated, the food was served by quiet, docile wolves.

"How do you like LA so far?" Gabriel asked between bites.

Don looked at the other man evenly. "It's a great city." The last thing Don was in the mood for was idle chitchat with the alpha.

"Mmhmm," Gabriel nodded. "And you work together with David and Megan?"

"He is our team leader," David said quietly.

Gabriel growled. "Did I give you permission to speak?"

"I thought you already knew that?" Don tried to get the alpha's attention.

Gabriel shifted his gaze to Don and shook his head. "No, Megan only mentioned that you worked with them."

Keeping up the conversation to draw the alpha's attention away from his agents, Don replied. "Well, they are good agents." Privately, Don thought they were great at their jobs, but he didn't think Gabriel would like to be outshined by the two.

Gabriel snorted derisively. "Well, I hope they are better agents than they are at being beta and enforcer of this pack."

Don looked at both his agents. For a second, he thought he had seen hatred in Megan's eyes. 'What is going on here?' he sent to Charlie.

'It's like they are afraid of their alpha. Not just respectful, actually terrified,' Charlie sent back, baffled by the agent's behavior. In all of their years of living and visiting other packs, neither Eppes brother had ever seen this level of fear and terror in any pack member. It was most disturbing.

Don looked at his mate pointedly. It was obvious that Gabriel had tyrannical control over his pack. It reminded Don when Lucian had taught him a valuable lesson on being an alpha. He'd just hit Charlie for not listening to him as they played 'alpha and beta'. The warrior had told him that it was wrong for an alpha to hit any wolf in the pack; that it was not the way an alpha controlled his pack. An alpha _earned_ the respect and loyalty of his pack by his actions, not by beating and terror.

Don had never forgotten that lesson, and it had been driven further home when his dad had given him a good spanking for hitting his brother. He hadn't been able to sit for a whole week.

Looking around the table, it was easy to think that he didn't need to get involved; that with Amita out of the picture, he had the time to build a life with Charlie, and he didn't need to go borrowing trouble.

Was that why Megan had asked if he had a pack?

But he had a sinking feeling that nothing was going to go the way he wanted it to. Between Gabriel's plans for him and Megan's softly worded inquiries, Don knew he was going to find himself in the middle of this conflict sooner or later.

"So, your mate is also your brother?" Gabriel asked, snapping Don out of his thoughts.

Don nodded. "Yeah, he is." He saw the disgust on the alpha's face. Don shrugged it off. At least he wasn't a tyrant.

Taking the alpha's rude behavior as the perfect excuse to leave, Don stood up. "Charlie, we're going." He inclined his head to the alpha. "Thank you, for the food, but I have a feeling we are not welcome here anymore."

"You are not leaving here until I say you can," Gabriel snarled as he stood and shoved his chair back violently.

Don snorted at the other man's audacity. "What? You're going to beat me up, too?" he taunted. "Is that how you got the respect of your pack members, by beating them into submission?"

Megan and David looked at Don in shock. It hadn't taken their boss a long time to figure out the lay of the land.

"You know one of my father's warriors told me that an alpha got the respect and loyalty from his pack members by his actions, not by beating them," Don said, even though in the back of his mind he was wondering what the hell he was doing. He hadn't been planning to get involved, but he had too much sense of justice to let this situation go on. "It is obvious by the way your beta and enforcer react to you that you beat them. Hell, David is afraid of you – and no pack member should be afraid of his alpha."

Gabriel moved closer to Don and snorted. "You just made a _big_ mistake." Raising his hand, he closed it into a fist and brought it to his heart; a challenge to the dead.

Great, Don thought, as he rolled his eyes. Why did it always have to come to the dramatic 'fight to the death' crap? Closing his own hand into a fist, he brought it to his heart and moved his fist down, a sign that he accepted the challenge offered.

Don looked at his mate, wondering how Charlie was taking all the high drama.

'You can do this,' Charlie sent him, his body vibrating with anger and rage at the abuse of the pack.

'I hope so,' Don sent back. He looked at David and Megan, and saw the look of naked relief on their faces. He hoped that he wouldn't disappoint them. Megan looked at him, and discretely mouthed, _thank you._

Don inclined his head. 'Don't thank me until it's over,' he sent her.

TBC.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Home Is Where The Heart Is.  
Fandom: Numb3rs.  
Pairing: Don/Charlie.  
Author: Aiden.  
Chapters: (7/7)  
Ratings: FRT.  
Warnings: Mention of abuse, language, bloody fight, well someone will be losing his head.  
Summary: The fight begins.  
Beta: SRS/Silvia *hugs* Thanks a bunches for all the help.  
Author's note: Last chapter, don't worry there will be more of them.

Even as he said the words, Don couldn't believe he was accepting a fight to the death. He must be crazy to pick a fight with an older, more experienced alpha.

It wasn't about the fighting itself; he knew how to fight. Lucian had taught him as a boy and Nick had continued his training while he lived in the Vegas pack.

As he faced off with the belligerent, sneering alpha, Don felt Charlie grab his hand and squeeze it tightly. Turning to face his mate, Don smiled. He could see the confidence and encouragement in Charlie's face. Feeling a calm mantle settle over him, Don realized that he could do this; he would never disappoint his mate.

Gabriel looked intensely at Don. "Are you prepared to die?"

Don knew that the other man was a savage, but in this case, the challenger was required to ask his opponent if he was ready to die as part of the ritual.

"Yea, I am," Don responded according to tradition. "Are you prepared to die?" he asked formally.

"Yes, I am," he affirmed.

David walked towards the two men. "The rules require that both alphas have a second, and that the challenged party set the time and place and the choice of weapons," he said.

Both men nodded, agreeing to the rules as stated. "We understand the rules and will obey them," they said in unison.

Don looked at his mate and Charlie nodded. "My mate will be my second," Don said.

Gabriel smiled cruelly. "David will be my second," he glared at his beta, daring him to protest.

David remained silent, knowing that if he protested, he was in for it as soon as they were alone. He wouldn't give his alpha the satisfaction.

Frowning, Don thought for a moment. "The battle will take place at the ancient battlefield," he said deliberately. Don remembered a time long ago when Gil and Nick had taken him to visit the site of a famous battle fought between werewolves and hunters. It was a sacred place and many battles between alphas had taken place on that site. It was appropriate for Don to fight the alpha there.

Gabriel nodded. "Your choice of weapons?"

Don smiled widely, hoping to unnerve his opponent. It was a good thing that Lucian and Nick had trained him in ancient weapons. "The Dao."

Because Don had been watching Gabriel closely, he thought he'd seen something flash in Gabriel's eyes before the alpha said, "Okay, Dao it is." Was the alpha feeling unsure of his abilities? Was he afraid?

'_I don't think he knows how to fight with a sword,_' Charlie sent him, picking up on the alphas momentary expression.

Don looked straight ahead. '_He is afraid_,' he sent back.

'_That is a good thing_,' Charlie replied cheerfully.

Don looked at Gabriel. "Tonight at sunset," he said.

Gabriel could do nothing but agree to the terms; he would have rather had time to look for weakness and soft spots. "Tonight." With that, he turned around and walked out of the room.

The instance Gabriel was out of the room, Megan looked at Don in surprise. "You know how to fight with a Dao?"

Don who started to move towards the door, nodded his head, "Yeah, and with a Kampilan, a Gladius, an Acinaces, and a Falx," he grinned. "I know how to use most of the ancient weapons. So does Charlie."

"Wow, that is amazing," David said as he led Don and Charlie outside, his tone respectful and impressed.

Don sighed as he breathed in the night air. "Yeah, Lucian taught us most of it," At Megan's questioning look, he explained, "He was an old werewolf that looked out for us when we were cubs." Don's eyes turned sad when he thought about his old teacher and friend.

Don and Charlie walked towards their car, followed by Megan and David.

"I wonder what ever happened to him," Charlie sighed, his expression wistful.

Don stood still and looked at his mate, his eyes suddenly turning hard and cold. "I don't want to know," he said harshly. "He just left us with Gil and took off."

"He did it to protect us," Charlie whispered, rubbing Don's back in a soothing manner.

Don snorted. "To protect us?! If he'd wanted to protect us, he would have stayed with us!" he spat out, old pain and hurt racing through him. Don remembered how Lucian and Raze had just left them with the Vegas pack and disappeared. "You were too young to remember!"

"You think I don't remember?!" Charlie growled, knowing he was simply reacting to his mate's hurt feelings. "You think I can ever forget what happened to our pack? The slaughter, the fire consuming our houses, the bodies of our friends, family, and our parents? I can't," he shouted at Don. Taking a deep breath, he looked away, his eyes where glistering with unshed tears, "It stays with me every minute of my life."

Don gathered his mate in his arms. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I shouldn't have said that you were too young. It's just that… it hurts so much to think about how Lucian and Raze just left without a backward glance. They were the only thing left of our old life and we lost them, too," he said softly into Charlie's soft curls. He felt awful for having upset his mate. He knew better than to say such thoughtless words and hurt Charlie's feelings.

"I'm pretty sure that one day, they will come back to us. I know they will." Charlie smiled up at Don with a tear streaked face.

Smiling, Don softly wiped away the last of his mate's tears and kissed him softly. "Yeah, maybe one day." He said the words he knew Charlie wanted to hear, but he didn't believe it for one minute.

Megan and David looked at each other. '_He has a good heart_,' Megan sent David, feeling more and more inclined to support Don in the upcoming fight.

'_And a gentle soul_,' David sent her back. '_I hope he wins_.' He was still a little skeptical. He'd seen better men than Don corrupted by the power of leadership. He was tired of Gabriel's abuse, but he was also afraid of trusting another alpha – only to be beaten down without warning.

Megan nodded. '_Yeah me, too_.'

~.~

The two alphas stood across from each other, weapons at the ready.

Gabriel looked at Don, trying to anticipate the other man's first move. It was not the first time since he'd issued the challenge that he'd regretted his actions.

Standing in the arena under the glare of lights, he flexed his hand around the sword handle. He didn't feel very comfortable with the sword, and had never taken the time to learn it properly. He had always favored guns. Everything would have been so much easier if the other man had chosen guns as his weapon. Then, he could have shot the other alpha and taken his head.

Don watched Gabriel closely, satisfied when he noticed how the alpha held the sword. Inexperience and ignorance was clearly visible in every step the other alpha took. Don was a bit surprised to see the other man's lack of proper training. Every boy in his pack had been trained in sword fighting; warriors and future alphas received even more training.

After a few minutes, both men began to circle each other, never taking their eyes off their opponent. Suddenly, Gabriel charged and swung his sword upwards.

Don blocked off the attack with ease. Smirking, he looked at the alpha. "Is that all you've got?" he taunted

Angry and uncertain, Gabriel growled and swung his sword wildly.

That was a big mistake.

Don took a step forward, and with one stab, he pierced Gabriel's stomach.

Gabriel staggered back, surprise flashing in his eyes. Growling, he ignored the pain and stepped forward. "You will die for this."

Raising his eyebrow sardonically, Don waited for the alpha to make another stupid mistake. "Bring it on." As with most bullies, Don had figured out early on that Gabriel would lose his cool quickly. The man was all brute strength and no strategy.

During the next couple minutes, both men fought furiously, each trying to get the upper hand. When Gabriel's sword sliced through Don's thigh, he staggered for a second. Confident that he had the upper hand, Gabriel moved closer to Don, his sword raised.

But before he knew what happening, Don had blocked his next blow and inched closer to Gabriel. Ignoring the pain in his thigh, Don raised his sword and pounded into the other alpha, giving blow after blow until Gabriel was backed into a corner.

Eyes glowing yellow and canines growing, Don growled, "Are you really ready to die?" Before Gabriel had a change to answer, Don swung his sword in a deadly arc, swiftly decapitating the alpha before he'd even had a chance to reply.

Panting and bleeding, Don stood there for a few seconds before he turned around facing the others. "It's over," he said loudly and clearly to the wolves gathered at the sacred site.

Walking over to him, Charlie hugged his mate. "Are you okay?" he asked concerned with the blood oozing from Don's thigh.

Don looked down, blinking as he felt the burning pain take his breath away. For a few minutes, he'd almost forgotten his wound. "I will be." He kissed his mate hard and bruising, needing the feel of Charlie to remind him that he'd won. He was alive!

Megan and David approached the two men and dropped to their knees. "With these words, we're pledging our undying loyalty to you," they both said in unison.

"We will obey your every command.  
We will protect the pack with all of our might.

We will protect the children and the weak.  
We will die for you and your mate.  
You are our alpha, and we are yours to lead."

Don looked down at them in shock, his hand squeezing Charlie's. Was this really happening? Was this something he wanted? When he'd agreed to the fight with Gabriel, he'd never expected to take over the pack. He just wanted to ensure that no one would threaten him or Charlie. He glanced over to his mate, who nodded his head and smiled at him.

Clearing his throat, he tried to remember the words he'd heard his father say a lifetime ago.

"With your words, you pledged your undying loyalty to me,

Alai and my mate, Fenris, from the Waya pack.

You will protect this pack and their members with your life.

You will protect the children and the weak.

Rise and let me welcome you to the pack and your new family."

Even as he said the solemn words, Don felt the prickle of tears in his eyes. He'd grown up expecting to take over the pack from his father when he was ready. But after his father's death, he'd never anticipated having a pack of his own.

It had been so long since he'd been bonded to a pack – to a family. Even with Gil's pack, he'd been accepted and treated fairly, but it was not his pack – his family. Don felt the strange sensations as David's and Megan's energy wrapped around him and Charlie, bonding them together as a pack. Until he died or relinquished the position of alpha, Don would always feel their presence close to his heart.

When Megan and David stood up, they were embraced by Don and Charlie. David frowned when he felt something burning on his right shoulder blade and smiled, knowing that his new pack tattoo would be there.

Megan felt something sting on her back and looked at David, hardly believing that it had happened. Their oath had been accepted and they were now members of a new pack. They had a new family.

"The panther is our pack symbol," Don explained when David lowered his shirt and Megan saw the lethal black animal crouched on his shoulder blade. "You're both are part of my family now. You are now under the protection of my clan."

"Thank you," Megan smiled, feeling the warmth and energy of her new alpha invade here senses.

Don inclined his head, remembering when he'd told Megan not to thank him until it was all over. Now that he'd won and taken over the pack, he smiled back at her.

"You're welcome."

THE END.


End file.
